Ghosts in Fading Shadows
by MimiK
Summary: 1946 - Marigold and her husband plan to settle in Yorkshire. The estate they want to buy is all too familiar to Edith. [Andith Fest 2015]
1. Chapter 1

_AN: Contribution the Andith Fest 2015 I only saw yesterday that today is day. Therefore, it's only a teaser, but with more to come. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Ghosts in Fading Shadows**

London, September 1946

„Oh, Mama, you must come, please", Marigold pleaded her mother. "Peter said he has found the perfect home or us."

Edith looked at her oldest daughter, who seemed glow by excitement.

Marigold and Peter had married two years ago. It had been wartime - again – and Peter had to go to the battlefield too soon after their wedding day. Painful memories had returned to Edith like to many of her generation. Thankfully, Peter had returned unharmed and now it was time to settle down to family life.

No wonder that the girl was close to overexcited. Edith had been much older at her wedding, but she very well remembered the feelings, when she had entered her own home for the first time. The world had changed a lot, but some things never changed.

"I'm pretty sure you know the house. It isn't far from Downton... Did I say that Peter thinks it is prefect?"

"Yes, you did, darling." Edith smiled. "I'll come to Yorkshire with you."

"You are the best!" Marigold kissed her mother cheek. She tried not to smile over her face, but she failed.

The daughter's smile was answered. After the war, the bombs over London, the fear for Peter, Marigold deserved all the peace and happiness of the world, Edith thought. "Thank you, child", she said with a laugh. "Do you want to go by car or by train? You could ask Miller to organise the train tickets."

Marigold nodded. "That's what Peter suggested too. He'll pick us up in Ripon, he said."

At once, she hurried to leave the room to look for Miller, the family's butler.

Edith gazed after her daughter. "Oh, and please don't forget to tell Aunt Mary. I don't want to surprise her with our visit...", she called.

"Yes, yes", Marigold said, while she slipped away to tell Peter the news.

Edith sighed. She would better call her sister by herself.

* * *

 _Yorkshire, a week later_

It always felt a bit awkward to return to Downton. The house wasn't the home of her childhood anymore, but it was still full of memories. Mary and her husband had changed a lot during the last years. It was their right, of course, and with their mother now living in New York, Downton had been taken in possession by her successor completely.

Edith wandered from the living room to the library. The room had been refurnished by the latest fashion. It appeared brighter now, but Edith somehow missed the presence of her late father. Only over there by the windows, where his desk still stood, she thought to sense him in the shadow.

"There you are, Mama." Peter entered the room. "Are you ready to go?"

"I only have to fetch my coat." Not surprising, in Yorkshire it was already a bit cooler than down in London. However, Edith was pretty sure that neither Peter, nor Marigold were realising the difference.

Would she decide to live in Yorkshire again? Probably not. She would only try to chase the past, to recover old feelings and to restore things, which didn't exist anymore...

"... he inherited it together with the title, you know", Peter just said.

"Who?" Edith was puzzled.

"The owner of the house", the young man repeated. "He inherited it from his uncle, but he want to stay in London. He isn't made for the country life, he said."

"I hope, you both are", Edith answered and patted the cheek of her son in law.

It was not before they were driven half of the way, when she realised that she had better paid more attention to his words.

"We are not going to Locksley, are we?" she asked and only the excitement growing all over Marigold's face made her trying not to respond in panic.


	2. Chapter 2

Of course, it was Locksley, which Peter had chosen as a possible future home. Edith felt relief that the door wasn't open by Anthony's butler Harryson, but by a man only a few years older than Marigold and Peter.

"Welcome at Locksley", he said. "I am Robert Chetwood."

"Good morning", Peter answered and introduced himself as well as his companions.

"Lady Edith, Lady Marigold, Sir Peter please come in." The way to the hall was released.

Edith hesitated to enter the house. It felt like entering the past. Less was changed. She noted the paintings on the wall, the colour of the carpet. Every moment Anthony Strallan could enter the hall to invite them for tea in the library. Of course, she knew the hall and the library, but during the showing, she realised that she only remembered these.

"This is the living room", Robert Chetwood said. "You've got a wonderful view on the garden from here."

It was wonderful, indeed, and Edith could see that Marigold had fallen in love with house and garden at first sight. She smiled and for a tiny moment, she thought to see Sir Anthony by the large window front, smiling back at her.

Edith closed her eyes to banish this sight. _If he would walk Locksley, Anthony would not haunt the living room, but the library_ , she thought.

"Do you come, Mama? Sir Robert wants to show us the rooms upstairs." Marigold appeared on the doorstep for a second only. She longed to explore more of the house.

Her mother followed her reluctantly. In her view, the rooms upstairs were more than private. There had been a time, where their decoration was discussed with her, but in the end, she had visited these rooms only once and with Anna Bates as her chaperone.

"We didn't change much after my uncle past away some years ago", Sir Robert explained, while opening one of the doors. "My family home is our London house and nobody really wanted to touch Uncle Anthony's arrangements for Locksley. By the way, this is the large bedroom."

The first thing Edith noted in the room was a small book on the bedside table. She crossed the room. Her eyes studied the dark reddish brown cover thoroughly. Despite the time it had to be lying on the small nightstand, there was only a bit layer of dust on it. Carefully she touched the book.

 _You have given me back my life_ , Anthony's voice whispered.

Edith's hand flinched from the book cover. It would have been wiser not to come to this house; too many memories, too many ghosts.

A door squealed. Edith turned around and discovered her reflection in the mirror of a dressing table. She surveyed her image. Many years had passed since she had been here. She suddenly remembered how it had felt to kiss Anthony's cheek for the first time. It had been just outside of Downton. Her lips had touched his skin quickly and shyly, but she had dared to give in to her desire.

 _Edith, let Sir Anthony go_ , her father demanded.

"I'm sorry?" Edith was puzzled for a moment.

"I said that this had been my aunt's dressing room", Robert Chetwood answered. "But it was redecorated about twenty-five years ago."

His guests followed him through the open door. The room seemed a bit old-fashioned, but the interplay of colours and materials still appeared very exquisite.

Edith could do nothing, but stare. Every single one of her wishes had been fulfilled; from the ivory colour of the furniture over the once soft and fine curtains to the delicate light blue of the wallpapers.

 _Oh, Anthony_. Bravely Edith fought her tears.

Her son-in-law somehow saved her for the moment. "This is hardly the room of a gentleman and it doesn't look used. Do you know what the reason for this redecoration was?"

The current owner shrugged his shoulders. "Some awkward story, I think. My mother never spoke about it." He lied. Edith could see it.

Marigold started to giggle. "I'm sorry, Mama, but I wouldn't know it better, I would bet that you decorated this room. It is completely your taste..."

Edith's face turned very pale, which was noted by Sir Robert. "Perhaps we should return downstairs for a moment. All the dust and the stale air aren't very healthy for your mother... I prepared some tea in library."

They walked the stairs slowly with Marigold very concerned about her mother. Much to Edith's relief, the library caught her daughter's attention very soon.

"And all these selves were filled with books?" Marigold couldn't help wondering. "Your uncle must have been a very bookish person."

"Like your mother", Peter added teasing.

Sir Robert nodded. "We wanted to sell or at least to comp the books after Uncle Anthony's death, but no one is interested in books nowadays. But perhaps your mother would like to take them."

"I'd love to", Edith answered at once.

"Shouldn't you ask what sort of books they are?" Peter smiled at her.

 _Other hint from the past_ , Edith marked to herself.

"In the end, all books are about farming technologies or something similar", her son-in-law continued teasing.

Edith sighed.

"You have to know, Sir Robert, my mother is very bookish too", Marigold hurried to explain. "But mostly for business reasons. She owns a newspaper."

"Does she?" Their host seemed to be impressed.

"Oh, and she was born nearby."

Edith closed her eyes. She knew she couldn't stop her daughter. Marigold was so proud of her grandfather, his family and the estate.

"Really? Where?"

"Downton Abbey", Marigold replied full of pride.

"Edith Crawley then..." Robert Chetwood turned around to Edith. "Perhaps you are interested in my uncle's letter then too."


	3. Chapter 3

_London, two weeks later_

"There you are, darling." Edith's husband entered the living room.

"Did you miss me?", Edith teased and enjoyed the kiss he gave her.

"Of course, I did. But actually I was looking for you, because this parcel arrived." He handed her a large package wrapped in greyish paper.

"From Sir Robert", Edith murmured. What might it be?

"Oh, and Sybil called. She and Tom will be in London for the weekend."

Edith met her husband's eyes. She loved all of their children dearly and with Marigold leaving soon to her own residence, she would love to have the twins at home at least for a weekend.

"Sometimes I wonder, if you would prefer that Sybil stayed at home instead of going to university."

"No, as much as I miss them both", Edith replied. "Can you imagine Tom alone far away and Sybil staying at home waiting for a suitor? I experienced such a life and I don't want it for any of our children."

Her husband smiled at her. He had known the answer before her reply.

"So, what is the package about?"

 _Dear Lady Edith_ , Robert Chetwood had written. _We found_ _the attached album hidden in the blue dressing room. I thought you might be interested in this comprehensive collection of your journalistic work._

Edith opened the album to leaf through it. "It is a collection of pretty most of my articles for the Sketch, I'd say", she wondered. "Anthony must have collected them."

She sighed and closed the album hastily. A sheet of paper, a picture fell slowly to the floor.

Edith's husband picked it up. He started laughing. "What happened here?" he asked.

His wife looked at at the picture and smiled.

"I did something jolly with my hair", she replied and kissed him.


End file.
